9TH UPDATE, Saturday 6:33PM:Disney as good as other sources are stating that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is now entrance in on a regressive side of projections with a $220M weekend opening, that would still be an all-time record violence Jurassic World‘s $208.8M. Peg that to softer Saturday matinees, however, dusk shows could pitch these sum higher. Per Disney, Saturday’s daytime grosses vs. Friday’s daytime sheet profits are trailing by 5% ,currently during $47M, for a projected $60M now (that’s a 50% decrease from yesterday’s opening day record of $120M, non-Disney analysts were presaging a Friday-to-Saturday decrease of -42%. However, Disney’s box bureau estimates have been flattering many on a symbol via a weekend contra rivals’ projections. By comparison, if Force Awakens files a $60M Saturday, it will arrange fourth behindJW ($69.6M), Avengers ($69.55M) and Iron Man 3 ($62.3M). Anecdotally, we stopped by The Cinemark XD in Crenshaw during 4PM and there were still copiousness of showtimes that weren’t sole out. Another muster sequence told us progressing now that a flyover states were doing gangbuster business.

Rentrak is raised that a sum sheet sales for this weekend are also attack an all-time record with an estimated $305M, eclipsing a $273.8M weekend record sum from Jun 12-14 when JW opened. This weekend is adult tighten to 3 overlay over final weekend’s insignificant formula of $77.4M, and they’re +126% over a same pre-Christmas weekend a year ago. 2015’s sum tickets sales interjection to Force Awakens will arise to $10.39B, +5.8% from a year ago. If we’re going to transparent a first-time ever $11B year, we have $610M to transparent by Dec. 31.

As we celebrated earlier, it’s a large offered day and transport day, however with tighten to 74% of schools off on Monday, Force Awakens is going to keep clicking. The tip grossing Monday of all-time belongs to Spider-Man 2 which done $27.7M on Jul 5, 2004.

8TH UPDATE WRITETHRU, Saturday, 8AM: As of Saturday morning,industry analysts now see Star Wars: The Force Awakenswith an opening day record of $119M-$120M en lane for an all-time record opening of $246M-$254M during a domestic box office. Disney is job Friday during $120.5M. To put Force Awakens’ opening in perspective, cruise a following: Disney done $100M from a filmin usually 21 hours during 1PM PST; an volume that many successful tentpoles open to in a 3-day weekend. By Sunday, Force Awakens will kick or come tighten to violence a whole domestic runs of a final two Hobbits which were expelled over a final dual Decembers— TheDesolation of Smaug ($258.4M) and The Battle of Five Armies ($255.1M). It took Jurassic World five days to cranky $250M. Domestic all-time grosser Avatar, which non-stop during this support behind in 2009 to $77M and finished a stateside cume during $749.8M, took 12 days to transparent $250M. However, that was during a pre-historic days of digital and 3D cinema. When Avatar opened there were 3,100 RealD screens in a U.S./Canada; now there are 14,000 with a infancy of them playing Force Awakens.

Currently, Saturday is approaching to tumble 42% from Friday. But many of that hinges on how many walk-up business Force Awakens gets, and Disney and vital bondage continue to kick a drum that there are copiousness of tickets available. One suburban L.A. Regal multiplex usually had 10PM shows left as of 5:30PM on Friday with all before shows sole out. When it comes to box bureau analysts calculating projections for Force Awakens, it’s a plea as a statistical set of information is minimal. We celebrated how tough this was for placement executives after Jurassic World opened.

Given a volume of theaters we expected Force Awakens to siphon adult (Disney’s 4,134 count is a record far-reaching for December), we wondered what Nov titles would tarry on a marquee. Twelve of a tip ranked 15 titles final weekend strew a sum of 10,645 theaters on Friday. Force Awakens, Universal’sSistersand 20th Century Fox’s Alvin and a Chipmunks: The Road Chiptook over a bulk of that museum count, and a few some-more for a grand sum of 10,749. Sony/MGM/Eon’s Spectre is braving a approach against Star Wars during a holidays and is approaching to cranky $200M.

PLF is carrying a heyday zooming toward $20M, that would be a new high for a format, repping 8% of Force Awakens‘ whole weekend. Cinemark XD’s PLF code will make tighten to $5M. On Friday, PLF during 450 screens repped 9% of Force Awakens’ till, or $10.6M. Of that figure, Cinemark’s 118 PLF bookings of Force Awakens made $2.57M.

CinemaScore is stating an overwhelming A for Force Awakens which beats a A- warranted by Episodes I-III. Those giving it an A+ embody women, those underneath 25 and a underneath 18ers. 98% of audiences gave a film an A or B. Male to womanlike ratio was 64% to 36% that is scarcely matching to those who incited adult for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of a Sith. Similar to what we saw with PostTrak’s preview audience, a comparison fans are entrance out to Force Awakens with 67% of a assembly over 25. Sith only pulled in 56% of that mob to 44% underneath 25 and what this shows with Force Awakens is that a assembly is usually removing older. Over three-quarters of those offered tickets to Force Awakens on Friday were fans of a franchise. Also pulling plain draws were Harrison Ford (18%), Carrie Fisher (16%) and J.J. Abrams (19%). The actors and singer assembly interest with Sith, which starred Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen was utterly low during around 10%, while moviegoers afterwards during 22% cited executive George Lucas as one of a reasons given they watched Sith.

The Road Chip and Sisters respectively perceived grades of A- and B. Both are looking during debuts in a $13.8M-$14M+ operation which are deliberate good starts by a sources. Many see Road Chip slotting above Sisters because of Saturday and Sunday matinees. Family transport can leg out all a approach to MLK, Jr. weekend, and Uni has a clinging womanlike bottom for a R-rated raunchy comedies. Sisters, before PA, has an estimated $30M prolongation cost.

The initial two Alvins got As while a third one, Chipwrecked received a B+. Though it’s a lowest one in a array stateside, it didn’t do so bad, opening to $23.2M and putting adult a 5.7 mixed of $133.1M. The Alvin and a Chipmunks franchise is a critical holiday tack for a studio, racking adult $1.16B worldwide.

Moms were in assemblage at Road Chip at 63% with a nearby even separate among a under/over 25 set. A small some-more than half of a mob came out given their fans of a Alvin films. This assembly relapse is really tighten to a make-up of Chipwrecked.

Given Sisters’ paltry CinemaScores; if this film was personification outward a holiday, a predestine competence be grim. However, given that a weekend before Christmas is traditionally a tough film weekend to pull in females, many design it to reap a holiday mixed given a a outrageous pull for comparison women during 76% with 71% over 25. Much comparison folk couldn’t endure with a over 50 garland giving it a nasty C+. Bridesmaids earned a B+, but it had some-more As sprinkled via a demos.

It’s engaging to note that 71% of those branch adult for Sisters came out for stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, while 77% bought tickets to a fresh-faced headlining Bridesmaids because they were captivated to a disobedient concept. Typically whenever a stars are a biggest reason for given an assembly turns up, it means that a pretension won’t have prolonged legs – the actors’ fans come out in a initial weekend, and grosses collapse in successive frames. But since it’s a holidays, that methodology goes out a window as a normal multiples compared with CinemaScores askance significantly higher.

One pretension pang a predestine of The Force this weekend: Warner Bros./Village Roadshow’s In a Heart of a Sea which is approaching to deep-six by 67% in a second sesh with $3.6M. That’s worse than what a fear film drops in a second frame. As of right now, a Ron Howard 1820 whaling epic isn’t approaching to cranky $20M. Another in a fibre of box bureau blunders for a studio.

Awards titles are looking to stay alive. Both Open Road and Searchlight respectively scaled behind their museum depends for Spotlightand Brooklyn. Spotlight is estimated to strike $22.6M by Sunday. After a Golden Globes and Oscar noms, Spotlight will spin adult a shade wattage again.

Weinstein Co.’s Carolisn’t going to get mislaid in this Star Wars box bureau galaxy. The distrib kept a film cramped to 16 locations in a fifth support where it’s looking to make $218K, usually 35% off from final weekend. The Todd Haynes-directed duration intrigue is braggadocio $13,625 per theater, some-more than double what The Artist was putting adult during a same indicate in time. By Sunday, a film looks to transparent $1.6M.

Like TWC, Focus Features has been holding behind a museum count on The Danish Girlso that it lasts longer via a holidays and awards season. The film is looking during a 92% fourth weekend boost or $506K as it expands from 24 to 81 theaters. Compared to executive Tom Hooper’s best design Oscar leader The King’s Speech at a same indicate in time, that film was in 47% fewer venues and it was creation more. By Sunday, The Danish Girl will be pacing behind King’s Speech by $1.6M.

Paramount’s The Big Short,though slipping 49% in weekend 2, is still putting adult a large per museum normal of $44K during 8 locations. The Adam McKay underline instrumentation of a Michael Lewis book goes far-reaching this Wednesday.

Hungary’s Son of Saul, which was recently named as one of a 9 unfamiliar films on Oscar’s short-list, is now looking during a $36K opening during 3 venues for $12K a theater.

The tip 10 films as gathered by Deadline’s Amanda N’Duka as of Saturday 8:20AM:

5th UPDATE, Friday, 4:36 PM: How many annals will Star Wars: The Force Awakens bust by this weekend? Late-afternoon estimates now put a J.J. Abrams-directed force of inlet during around $125M-$130M, on lane for a $250M-$260M weekend. These are not distributor Disney’s numbers though attention estimates. It already has cracked annals for a highest allege sales and a biggest Thursday preview night, and it’s going to simply pull past Harry Potter and a Deathly Hallows – Part 2‘s single-day-gross record. Jurassic World is also no compare for this beast as it is abrasive it on a biggest three-day sum ever (see charts below). That’s how it stands now, with some-more to come tonight.

OK, now for a other titles — approbation there are dual other pics opening this weekend. The Amy Poehler-Tina Fey comedy Sistersfrom Universal is still on lane for a midteen three-day weekend and competence see a sum Friday take of $5M -$6M for an opening substantially in a $16M-$17M range. This weekend is traditionally not a large moviegoing weekend for females, though a studio is anticipating for a small counter-programming movement in this R-rated romp. Also opening is Fox’s family film Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip, which has a new estimated Friday sum of $4M to $5M though it is still on lane for a midteen three-day. Both are expected to play by a holidays.

Saturday is going to be a revelation day for Star Wars as it will give Disney a good magnitude of what kind of walk-up business it can design given 80% of pre-sold tickets were bought for Thursday, Friday and Christmas, in that order. That kind of moviegoing offered activity is identical to a Twilight movie, where many fans showed adult on Thursday and Friday. Whatever money a design can transport in tonight, doubling that series will get us sincerely tighten to a three-day box bureau gross. Stay tuned. More to come tonight.

As we saw with Universal during a opening weekend of Jurassic World, Disney is being really regressive with estimates. At this point, they see a $100M+ Friday and a $200M+ weekend. Saturday is a furious label day and will establish if Force Awakens gets to this stratosphere level, privately given it’s a large holiday transport and offered day. 80% of a Force Awakens pre-sales were bought for a following days in order: Thursday, Friday and Christmas Day. Hence, many predict Saturday as a day that could advantage from a many walk-up business, and both Disney and exhibitors such as AMC continue to emphasize there’s millions of tickets available.

With eye-boggling grosses like this, what could presumably come in second this weekend? Many are betting that 20th Century Fox’s Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip makes an estimated $18M during 3,653 theaters after a Friday that’s between $5.5M-$6M. Universal’s R-rated comedy Sisters with a vigilant on hooking females, is looking during $6M now for a $17M openingin third place. The film, suffocated by Star Wars, couldn’t bust $1M in previews final night, settling for $769K.

Among holdovers, Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 will have a advantage of slotting fourth with an estimated 45% decrease for a fifth weekend of $6.3M and a using cume of $255.1M. Warner Bros./Village Roadshow’s In The Heart Of The Sea will be down 55% in a second session with $5.1M and a 10-day cume of $20.2M. As to possibly all films in a marketplace will reap from Force Awakens’ rising tide, we’ll have to wait until we get past Christmas Eve when all holiday distractions stop for moviegoers.

Previously, Warner Bros.’ 2011 finale Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 owned a preview record of $43.5M and a opening day of $91M. 47% of Force Awakens’ Thursday night gross came from 3D, with Imax generating $5.7M during 391 hubs; that’s tighten to double a prior preview night record set by Avengers: Age Of Ultron of $3M.

How were a preview grosses calculated? Non-Disney sources with entrance to hourlies tell us that a previews for Force Awakens were weighted from 7 PM until 6 AM on Friday. When Warner Bros. generated $43.5M from Deathly Hallows 2 they counted a grosses from those showtimes between midnight Friday until 6 AM; after 2 AM, there was usually a smattering of them. This raises questions as to how Disney will count showtimes for a initial day of Force Awakens. Will a opening record be formed on a 29-hour day (Thursday 7 PM shows by those finale during 11:59 PM today)? Or a 35-hour day thorough of those shows finale during 6 AM on Saturday? One researcher beheld that streamer into post-6 AM shows now that business for Force Awakens is trackingdown 10% from a preview shows.

The No. 1 film outward of previews final night? Lionsgate’s Mockingjay – Part 2 which done $895K from 3,651 locations; a stream B.O. is $248.8M. In The Heart Of The Sea was second with an estimated $735K during 3,103 and a initial week’s cume of $15.1M. 20th Century Fox was correct not to conflict the Force last nightwith its fourthquel Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip.

MovieTickets.com continues to news that 94% of a site’s sheet sales are for Force Awakens — surprise, surprise. A infancy of tickets during 42% are being sole in pairs, that means people are attending a film alone. Group tickets of 3 or 4 are being snapped adult respectively during 15%. Only 4% of all Force Awakens tickets buyers are purchasing 6 tickets or more.

Rentrak’s PostTrak denounced final night a following assembly relapse (which they guard via a weekend): Force Awakens is mostly sketch comparison males during 71% guys, 53% over 25. A infancy of a assembly during 94% are grading a J.J. Abrams film possibly glorious or really good, that is a conspicuous measure frequency seen on PostTrak. Close to half of a assembly contend they attended Force Awakens because it’s partial of a authorization they love. More than half a assembly polled contend that Force Awakens exceeded their expectations. 72% pronounced they motionless some-more than a week ago that they were going to Force Awakens, while 24% pronounced they motionless tonight to buy a sheet to a film.

Also as of final night per PostTrak, a infancy of a assembly watched Force Awakens in RealD 3D during 44%, followed by 2D during 32% and Imax 3D during 16%.

PREVIOUSLY, 6:52 PM: “It’s like zero we’ve ever seen,” one muster insider told us as Disney’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens is cruising toward an earth-shattering Thursday night preview record tonight. We’re literally conference from a non-Disney sources that it could pull to $50M — and some contend many higher. That would be unusual and improved than a record set by Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows-Part 2, which done $43.5M from midnight showingsin 2011. From Valencia, CA to New York City, shows are offered out back-to-back. “Every time a uncover is added, it sells out,” pronounced another exhibitor.

In Manhattan, some theaters are playing Force Awakens 24/7. By 4:50 PM now during Edwards suburban Valencia 12, 30 mins north of L.A., a initial 4 shows of a night starting during 7 PM were totally sole out, with a mob of folks clustered outward a multiplex given 10AM. At a Landmark Theatre on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, Force Awakens is personification 7 times tonight, with many theaters make-up in an 80% capacity. We’ve listened of some West Coast theaters personification a film until 4:30 AM. The Hollywood Arclight on Sunset is showing Force Awakens for 24 hours straight.

“I can tell we this: No one has ever seen anything like this,” pronounced one placement insider. “It’s really probable that it could go over $50M.” The exec also says that if theaters are personification this film all night long, The Force Awakens can get to $100M in one of a fastest times ever.